Wow. This story just hit over 100 reviews. I can not believe how much positive feedback I have received. Thank you so much to kellneriner, Ayoungnovelist, David Fishwick, Runawaybaby555, My Queen Troian, WTRGAL01, Sgdp1261, Britrocs, chiruri chikorate, and assorted anonymous reviewers for you support. It means so much to me.

Unfortunately, this story is winding down to a close in about 9 chapters, so I am still looking to beginning another story. I've narrowed it down to 3 different ideas, and my offer still stands to anyone who wants to take a look at the summaries. My goal is to start it as soon as possible so I can still keep updating constantly.


"She's sick? Are you sure?" Holden glanced in the direction of Aria's house. He set his hand on the steering wheel of his car as he listened to her voice on the other end.

"That's what they said, Holden. Listen, Mona and Lucas just got here. This is not going to affect our plans. We are going to go knock Emily and Hanna out, and we will meet you where we agreed upon."

"And what do you want me to do about Aria?"

"You have the second taser, don't you?"

Holden glanced nervously towards the passenger seat of his car where the weapon was sitting. He still didn't feel comfortable holding onto it; it made him feel like he was too powerful for his own good. "Yeah, I have it."

"Then just go in there, knock her out, and bring her to your car."

"I can't do that!"

"Why not? She can't weigh THAT much."

"It's not that, it's just. . . "

"Just WHAT, Holden? I have been waiting for YEARS for everything to happen. It has to go down tonight. Spencer's is alive, so we can't wait much longer. Do you understand me?"

"What if Spencer is in there with her?"

"Then knock her out, too! That's the plan, you dork. Take them all down tonight, and if we can't get Spencer, we will go after her another time. OR she'll come after us."

"Wait, Spencer's leaving. She just hopped into a car."

"Then what are you waiting for? Text me when you have Aria in your car."

"Okay. Love you."

"See you soon, Holden." See you soon, thought Holden. I say that I love her, and she says she'll see me soon. On some subconscious level, Holden thought that maybe if this time he did everything that she asked, no matter how painful, she would love him back. That was what fueled him to grab the taser, shove it in his pocket, and jog up to Aria's front door. It was unlocked, so he let himself in.

The first thing he heard was the sound of floor boards squeaking. "Aria?" he called softly up the stairs. He could pretend that he had come to apologize. That would explain him being there. But she didn't respond. The only sound in the house was the floorboards squeaking like mad.

Holden strolled up the stairs and headed towards Aria's bedroom. The squeaking got louder as he got closer and closer. What the hell? It was definitely coming from Aria's bedroom. He called her name again, louder, and knocked on her door. There was no response, but he could hear something smacking wood.

Curious, Holden opened the door and found Aria lying on her bedroom floor. Her body was shaking and her arms and legs were spasming in every direction, smacking against the floor, her bed, her nightstand.

Holden was in shock. In seconds, he realized that she was having a seizure. He knelt down next to her and tried to hold her still as he screamed her name, but nothing was working. It was if she was possessed by a demon. She had described what seizures were like for her: blackness, dizziness, seeing stripes and spots in front of her eyes. He felt like there was nothing he could do but watch her suffer.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he still loved her. Her was furious that she had dumped him, and he had a deep, passionate, burning crush on CeCe, but she would always be his first love. His mother once told him that he could never forget a first love, and it was true. It killed him to watch her, unconscious and spasming, totally without control.

Suddenly, he remember the rope he had tied around his ankle. He was instructed to tie it around her hands after he knocked her out, just in case she woke up; maybe actually doing it would help her, not just hurt. Her arms were jerking around so much that he was afraid she might hurt herself. He hastily started untying the rope from his ankle in a hurry.

He was in such a hurry, in fact, that the taser slipped from his pocket and skidded across the floor. He reached for it, but he wasn't able to get a good grip on it and only smacked it. He smacked it in just the wrong place and the taser sizzled to life just as it grazed Aria's torso. A thick hissing sound came from the tiny machine, and sparks flew as it jabbed into Aria's body. Her body suddenly stopped jolting, but stood stiff for a moment before going limp.

Holden gasped. "Aria?" he whimpered. But she didn't respond, didn't show any sign of consciousness. "Aria?" he said again, louder. Her body was lifeless and didn't respond when he shook her slightly. "FUCK!"

Holden screamed, cursing and crying. He grabbed Aria's shoulders howled. "ARIA, ARIA!" But she didn't respond.

Holden screamed her name, but her eyes remained closed and her body remained limp. After minutes of yelling loud enough to wake the dead, the house was silent again. Silent, that is, except for the sound of the squeaking floorboards under Holden's body, shaking from silent sobs as he held Aria's body in his lap, stroking her hair and kissing her soft, unmoving face.